LETTER: Voting strategically is realistic and smart

Sensible BC has had enough of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. It’s time to make a positive change.

The Conservatives have made themselves the party of marijuana prohibition. This is a failed policy that wastes taxpayers’ money, takes police time and effort away from fighting real crime, and creates wealthy organized crime gangs and turf wars. Harper’s Conservatives even want to deny sick people their cannabis medicine.

The other three political parties (Liberals, NDP and Green) are all supporting a sensible approach to marijuana.

Sensible BC knows that it is important that we not split the vote among the three parties that support positive marijuana reform. We do not want the Conservative candidate to be re-elected.

We have a first-past-the post voting system and presently, polls show it is a dead heat between the Conservatives and the NDP in our Kootenay-Columbia riding. We need to be realistic and smart. It is not helpful to vote for someone who has little chance of beating the Conservative candidate in our riding.

It is essential to vote strategically in order to make the changes we need. We must vote for the candidate and their party that has the best chance of defeating the incumbent Conservative candidate in our riding. That is why we are endorsing and encouraging everyone to vote for Wayne Stetski of the NDP.

Polls show that he is the candidate who has the best chance of defeating the Conservative candidate.

Only by voting strategically and defeating the Harper Conservatives will we be able to make meaningful progress in these important areas. There will be little progress on marijuana reform and these other issues if Stephen Harper and his government are re-elected. Therefore we must vote strategically in Kootenay-Columbia.

Lots of people will be voting on Oct. 19. Don’t miss out! In this election we can make a positive difference.